It’s true! The scales are used for glossy and sparkled lipstick and nail polish as they have a substance called Pearl Essence. Pearl essence is mostly obtained from herring, and is mostly a byproduct of commercial fishing. There are some herring traps on the East coast that are used to gather scales for cosmetics. The fish are not harmed, they go through a pump system on the boat that loosens scales which eventually re-grow, then the herring are released back into the ocean.